Melanoma and PET/CT
Malignant melanoma is the most aggressive skin cancer, with 48,600 new cases last
year. Its incidence is rapidly increasing throughout the world at a faster
rate than any other tumor type. This is due to an increase in exposure to
the sun. Approximately 38,000 new cases of invasive melanoma and 30,000 to
50,000 new in situ cases are seen each year in the United States. The
lifetime risk for Americans developing melanoma is 1 in 87. Early
diagnosis is the most important survival factor. Usually, it depends on
visual surveillance. Once identified, a suspected lesion is biopsied and,
if found to be melanoma, surgically removed--often with surrounding lymph
nodes. The high mortality of melanoma is because it spreads quickly
through the lymphatic and blood systems. This method of metastasizing also
makes it very difficult to monitor recurrence.
Diagnostic tests for staging include chest x-ray and liver function tests.
Other tests are used only when signs or symptoms warrant. Sentinel node
biopsy is becoming an increasingly common procedure since melanoma usually
metastasizes to regional lymph nodes before dissemination.
How Does PET/CT make a Difference?
- A whole body PET scan
is clearly the best method for accurately staging patients with suspected
melanoma or recurrence of melanoma post therapy. Multiple tests would be
necessary with other modalities since they can only screen limited body
areas in a single test and rely on strict size criteria or distortions of
anatomy.
- As with other types of
cancer, PET often changes the diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic
management of patients with melanoma.
More Information
Find the support you need!
Several organizations provide information and support to patients and
their families, including the following:
American Cancer Society
American Public Health Association
Association of Community Cancer Centers
Cancer Care
Common Cause: Citizen Action Network
General Healthcare Advocacy: The Florence Project
Imaging for Hope
National Cancer Institute
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
Patients First
| 
